Tricking Yourself into Enjoying Exercise

I started trying different ways to stay motivated to continue working out when I lost some of my motivation in college. These are some different things I tried, and I would recommend any to someone looking to find ways to me the gym a little more enjoyable: 

    1. Make a motivating playlist.  

I recommend picking songs to which you know the words for your workout playlist. This helps me focus on the words to songs, so I can align them to my runs or other workouts. Spotify has a TON of exercise playlists I’ve used if you need some inspiration.  

    2. Find an accountability partner. 

If you’re as competitive as I am, this will likely work for you. I refuse to lose and stopping short in a workout before my partner is something I would consider “losing”. On a more positive and encouraging note, I believe having a gym partner makes working out more fun and motivating just through company in general.  

    3. Focus on your strengths.  

Everyone has different strengths and things they enjoy doing in the gym. On the days I find it especially hard to continue, I do things I enjoy. This helps me to stay focused by getting me “lost” in the work and making my workouts more enjoyable. 

These have all helped me get more focused and enjoyable workouts daily. So, if you’re just getting into working out and need to work on staying motivated, I hope tips for tricking yourself into enjoying exercise work for you!